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No. 607,78I. Patented July I9, |898. J. N. YUNG.

INDEXER.

(Application filed Nov. 6, 1897.)

we Model.)

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a *9 obnnguM-...Nwuan Nrrn STATES ATENT FFCE J OSIAH N. YOUNG, OF SUNNY SIDE, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID S. JONES, OF SAME PLACE.

INDEXER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,781, dated July 19, 1898.

Application iiled November 6, 1897. Serial No. 657,644. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOSIAH N. YOUNG., a citizen of the United States, residing at Sunnyside, in the county of Leiiore and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

.This invention relates to an indexer; and it consists of a pair of drums adjacently arranged, one of which is spring-actuated and each having a single index-strip engaging the same and wound thereon and adapted to be drawn thereov'er and displayed in front of one of the rollers, operating gearing or `mechanism extending from the spindle or arbor of an index-hand movable over a dial of letters actuating one of the drums and set in motion by the movement of the saidindex-hand.

The invention further consists of the details of construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a device forconveniently'carrying and exposing an index-strip, especially for use in book` keeping, such as indexing journals and salesbooks, and to be situated at such a point relatively to a counter orbook-rest as to be readily operated to display the 'letter-index desired, the parts being simple and effective in their construction and operation, strong and durable,easily and readily operated, and comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture. Y A

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an indexing device emsimilar or other material, is extended at the front to form a shelf and has thereon adial 5 of letters running from A to the end ofthe alphabet. This dial at its upper portion has a pair of oppositely-positioned stops 6, and also movable thereover is an index-hand 7, extending from aspindle or arbor 8, having attached to the lower end thereof an enlarged sprocket-wheel 9, which is engaged by a drivechain 10, also surrounding and opera-tinge. 6o smaller sprocket-wheel 11 on the lower projecting end of 'a shaft 12 of a front cylinder 13, the latter being movable adjacent to the front end 2 and in rear of the opening 3. The rear cylinder 14. is also located in the surrounding casing 1 adjacent to the cylinder'13 and is mounted u pon a stationary axle 15, which is encircled by a coil-spring 16, one end of which is attached to said axle and the opposite end to a portion of the said cylinder 14. 7o The oppositely-positioned stops 6 on the dialplate are to prevent the index-hand from passing beyond a certain point in either one of two'directions, and thereby always keep the index in'proper position; One end of an elon- 7 5 gated index-strip 161is secured to the cylinder 14, andthe opposite end of the same is attached to the cylinder 13, and the securenient of the opposite ends of the said strip is made in suchmanner that the said index-strip un- 8o rolls alternately from one roll or theother in accordance with the plane of rotation of said rolls. The said index-strip 1G is divided into columns by vertical lines, which contain names alphabetically arranged in succession, 8 5 with ledger or other Yindex numerals to one side thereof.

The device, as shown, is arranged in horizontal position-that is, the cylinders are vertically positioned and the index-plate is in a 9o horizontal plane; but it will be understood that a vertical arrangement could ensue and one `cylinder be positioned above the other. Furthermore, instead of the cylinders hexagonal rollscould be employed or rolls of any 9 5 other polygonal form adapted for the purpose, and in operation the index-hand 7 is moved over the dial-plate 5 to the letter desired,and this brings the column on the indexstrip 16' in front of the opening 3. rIhe cyl- 10o inders are so-.arranged and the index-strip 16a so applied tosaid cylinders that the index-` hand may be moved in either direction Without causing an overslack or buckling of the said index-strip, always bringing the lettered llsby 'the cylinder 13 causes a rotation of the 1 said cylinder 14 against the resistance of theV spring Surrounding the stationary axle of said latter cylinder, and an automatic Winding of the index-strip Will take place on the rear cylinder or that farthest from the opening 3 or the front end 2, as the case may be. The device, as an entirety, Will be found exceptionally convenient in indexing journals or sales-books, as previously mentioned, and can be more rapidly operated than the ordinary form of book-index or by turning the leaves of a book upon which a bookkeeper may be Working. When positioned in its place on the counter or book-rest,the machine Will take up very little room, and of course the indexstrip will be made sufficiently long to accommodate the number of names that it has to carry and may be substituted by another of a similar character annually or at any other time found necessary. Motion is transmitted from the shaft 12 through the medium of a chain-Wheel 17 thereon and by an endless chain 18 to a chain-Wheel 19 or on the adjacent end of shaft 15.

Changes in the proportions and dimensions of the several parts, as Well as in the details of construction, might be made and substituted for those shown and described Without The With- Having thus described the invention, what yis claimed as new is* 1. In an indexing device, a casing having an observation-opening in one end and also havin ga shelf extended in advance of the front of the casing and beyond said opening, in combination with a pair of cylinders rotatable on parallel axes Within said casing, a retractingspring located Within one cylinder, an indexstrip attached at its opposite ends to said cylinders and Wound thereon, a dial on the shelf, an index hand having an arbor extended through the shelf, and operative connections between said arbor and one of the cylinders whereby movement of the index-hand controlsthe movement of the cylinders and indexstrip, substantially as described.

2.- In an indexing device, a casing in the form of a rectangular box provided with an observation-opening in one end, and having its bottom extended in advance of the front of the casing and beyond said openin g to form a dial-support, in combination with a pair of cylinders rotatable on vertical axes Within said casing, a retracting-spring located Within one cylinder, an index-strip attached at its opposite ends to said cylinders and Wound thereon, a dial-plate on the extended bottom of the casing, an index-handhaving an arbor extended through the bottom, Wheels on said arbor and one of the cylinder-shafts beneath the bottom, and a band passing around said Wheels, all arranged for joint opera-tion sub-i stantially as described.

In testimony whereof l afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses..

J OSIAH N. YOUNG.

Witnesses: l Y

Jon. H. EWINeToN, J. S. McDoNALD. 

